How to become a Black Powder RCO

[TomEnfield]

How does one go about becoming a black powder RCO?

My understanding is that the MLAGB as governing body control this qualification. I have tried contacting them through the email and telephone number on their website to no avail.

Tired contacting the NRA training department through their website and didn't get a reply either.

Any help would be great!

[saddler]

I did the MLAGB Black Powder Instructor course a few years ago.
The following weekend I took the NRA RCO course...so that the BP section could be added to the new RCO paperwork from the get go.
The recent RCO re-take was ok, but the questions assumed that the testee was NOT a BP qualified Instructor.

[TomEnfield]

I don't suppose you know if they still run this course and how I get a place on it?

[saddler]

Not sure.
There is STILL the BP class of firearm listed on the RCO options, so SOMEONE is probably offering a BP course....but the MLAGB that did mine is not the MLAGB of today...

Keep pestering them by e-mail, or see you can find direct email info for individuals on the committee?

[TomEnfield]

Thank you. Will do.

[glevum]

Did you try emailing the NRA

training@nra.org.uk

or try contacting Wedgnock

http://www.wedgnock.co.uk/contact.php

[Blackstuff]

Pretty sure you'll need a beard to be accepted onto the course though

[dodgyrog]

Pretty sure you'll need a beard to be accepted onto the course though

And probably a Scot!

[Pinguino]

You can tag it onto an existing NRA RCO qulaification. The next NRA/MLAGB RCO Endorsement Course is taking place at Bisley next weekend - March 18th.

[dromia]

The MLAGB is up there in the pantheon of failed "national" shooting organisations.

In 2015 I was trying to organise a BP RCO course for some clubs up here in the NE going under the premise that it is better for one person to travel up here rather than 8 people from the NE to go some remote part of the country like Bisley or Wedgnock.

I eventually got in contact with Alan Wiffin who does these courses and found out that there were only two BP RCO assessors in the whole country, Alan and someone in Scotland. Alan wasn't too keen on coming north for the same reasons I suspect that most of us here weren't to keen on going south, long road journeys are not something we do any more. Any way after much toing and froing we were set on doing a course up here in April 2016 when I contacted Alan in early 2016 he was unwell and we couldn't do the course as we had intended, I have tried off and on to get it going but gave up over the summer as it was going nowhere.

So if you want to go to the sh!te hole south to Bisley or Wedgnock then there will probably be the odd BP course but try getting one outside the MLAGB or the NRA's geographical safety zones and you will struggle. No wonder BP shooting is one of the real minority shooting activities when the MLAGB is on its knees and cannot promote the past time beyond Wedgnock or Bisley, to be honest the NRA would make a better fist of it as they do have RCO assessors and it they could be qualified as BP and the NRA take that on then BP shooting may have a chance, the MLAGB should gracefully roll over and join with the NRA and the the NRA could claim Wedgnock as a regional range.